One Lifetime of Our Five
by Hakumei Toshiro
Summary: While he sits and waits, Ichigo reflects on the life he has with Orihime.
1. A Reason to Like the Rain

One Lifetime of Our Five

Disclaimer: I in no way own the characters or storyline of the anime and manga series Bleach. It wouldn't be as awesome if I did. I do own this fiction story though.

Author notes: Wow my first fanfiction in a long time. It feels good to be back doing this. I don't have much to say now, but I will have some things at the end.

I'd like to dedicate this to the members of the "Five Lifetimes, One Love" forum, for they are a great bunch of people that make the IchigoxOrihime fandom so much fun. I wouldn't have finished this if it wasn't for them. No drive. XD

Now, let's get this started.

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"One Lifetime of Our Five"

Kurosaki Ichigo let out an uneasy sigh that he didn't know he was holding. He leaned his head against his hands and stared down at the tiled white floor. Small beads of sweat on the back of his neck sparkled in the bright light. His stomach felt as if it had been tied in so many different kinds of knots. He couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. Oh yeah. It was when he asked her out for the first time. And then there was their first kiss. Thank god he only missed by a little and ended up kissing her chin, unlike a certain redhead he knew that over shot and kissed someone in the eye. Then there was the time she cooked for him. Lord only knows how he survived that encounter. Green but a peanut butter like flavor. Well, at least the first taste was. And finally, there was when he proposed to her. He remembered that day rather fondly.

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He had bought the ring weeks before, but he never knew when to ask her. Ever time he thought about it, his knees felt weak and his throat grew tight. Each and every time, the heroic warrior who struck down the traitor Aizen lost his nerve and was reduced to an everyday regular Joe hopelessly in love. There were many chances for him to get down on one knee, take out the ring and ask her, but for one reason or another, he never could. Either his nerves got the best of him or he didn't feel right doing it then. The day he did propose, it rained. Orihime and he were out, going about from random place to random place. It was a spur of the moment kind of date. One where they went wherever they felt like. The proposal happened at the end of the date as one would assume. They were crossing a bridge, on the way back to Orihime's home. They paused for a moment to enjoy the view.

Ichigo leaned against the rail and looked out toward the gray clouds. The sound of the small raindrops hitting Orihime's umbrella was the only noise he heard. He wore the usual scowl he had come to make his own, though it was a bit more unfriendly because of the rain. While he could appreciate what beauty it had in its own, the memory forever attached to it would always make the beautiful droplets tainted in his eyes. Then, Orihime said something that cleared away some of the hatred he had for this weather.

"You know, I really love this weather." Orihime said suddenly. Ichigo glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow. Noticing his questioning look, she continued. "It's just, one night, back when we were still in high school, I was walking to my house from Tatsuki-chan's home. It was raining that night. I had asked about what you were like as a child and about your mom." Ichigo noticeably reacted to the mention of his mother. She noticed and added, "I wanted to know more about you. I had an amazing crush on you then." She gave him a soft smile. "When I was walking home, I thought to myself, 'I think I understand you a little better now, Kurosaki-kun.' I stopped for a moment and looked up at the rain and I realized something. The sky and the earth would never connect with each other without the rain. That's why, to me, the rain is some of the most beautiful weather there is."

For a moment, Ichigo was truly in a sense of awe. As long as he had known her, Orihime had rarely said anything that was this insightful. Every now an then she had her moments, and every time, they always captivated him. They continued to stand there, enjoying the beauty around them and the almost melodic sound of the raindrops. As the light grew dimmer, Orihime turned to resume their way to her home. She took a few steps before realizing that Ichigo wasn't at her side. When she turned back, she saw him still standing on the bridge, looking at the sky. When called to him, he turned his head slowly toward her. Then he said two words, only two, but they were going to change her world forever and his as well.

It had been a slip of the tongue to be honest. He had been reflecting on what they had become and just how much she meant to him. She was truly beautiful, inside and out. Whenever he was with her, his scars and wounds from the past didn't bother him. Even if it just thinking about her, it was soothing. The more and more he thought about it, the more and more he realized just how hard he had fallen for her and how much he wanted to stay by her side for the rest of his life and even beyond that. When he heard her voice, there had only been one thought in his head and thus it slipped. "Marry me." As soon as the words left his mouth, Ichigo cursed himself. That was not the way he wanted it to go. Fortunately, fate allowed him a small do over.

Orihime stopped, not sure of what she had heard. She wasn't sure if she said something, but Ichigo turned to face her completely. With a sincere look that she hadn't ever seen him with before and the rain dripping from his hair and running down his face, Ichigo placed his hand over his heart as if to stop it from beating so hard. "Inoue Orihime…" He paused. How other men did this, he didn't know. This uneasy feeling was unbearable, and he was sure that it wasn't going to get better. "Will you…m-marry me…." He somehow managed to squeeze his words out. Then his feeling got worse. He throat seemed determined on strangling him, and his heart decided to kill him by stopping itself. The world was silent and waiting for her answer. Before he knew it, she was standing right in front of him, umbrella discarded to the side. She slowly stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed him on the lips. For a split second, panic shot through Ichigo. This seemed too much like a 'soft' rejection. Then he felt her weight lean into him, and her arms wrap around his neck.

As the rain mixed with her tears, Orihime held herself tightly against the man she loved with her very being. "Of course I will…" She answered in a soft voice. Almost immediately, she felt him embrace tightly, and she smiled whole heartedly. The next moments where a jumble in her memory, but she remembered feeling as if she was among the clouds, bathing in the light of the sun. She had never felt happier in her entire life.

After their 'little' moment on the bridge, the now engaged couple resumed their travel toward her home. Before parting, Orihime gave Ichigo the kiss of a lifetime. When they broke apart, Ichigo was absolutely stunned. The words "wow", "incredible", or "god-like" did no justice to the feeling he had just experienced. It was beyond hard to say good-bye, though they'd see each other the very next day. As he turned to leave, he smiled the widest he had ever in his entire life. As Orihime watched her beloved leave, she couldn't help but brush her fingers over the silver ring with a small diamond she now wore on her left hand. She couldn't help but smile and laugh when she saw Ichigo thrust his hands in the air and give a shout of joy.

Ichigo had never felt as great as he had at that very moment. Nothing in the world would bring him down that night, not the rain, not the now cold air, and not even tripping over a cat as he ran home. He felt as though he could have leapt over the buildings, and if he had been in his Shinigami form, he would have. Unfortunately, he had left his badge at home. Nonetheless, Ichigo felt great. By the time he reached his home, he was soaking wet, dirty with mud, and cold as ice, but none of it mattered. He was engaged. Not a minute had passed since he arrived before the phone rang. On the other end was an ecstatic Tatsuki, who reaffirmed the proposal and spewed a number of congratulations to him. It wasn't long after the conversation ended and he had hung up that another call, this time from Chad, came. The rest of the night would be filled with calls of congratulations and one of a threat coming from Chizuru, who ultimately congratulated him and promised that if he hurt her 'Hime, he'd pay dearly. Once the calls ended, Ichigo took a quick hot bath and decided to call it a night.

The next day, he journeyed over to the Kurosaki Clinic to inform his family of his engagement. The reaction was much like he expected. Both Yuzu and Karin hugged him tightly and asked many questions about the wedding and his proposal. When the twins asked all they wanted, his father pulled him to the side and slapped him hard on the back, saying that his son made him proud. He then whispered 'fun' things for the wedding night, which earned him a dropkick to the face.

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Alright. Chapter one. I intended to make this a one-shot, but it continued to get longer than what I had originally thought out. I realized that a one shot now would be very long. I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors I might have overlooked. Also if you think I've misrepresented the characters, I'm sorry as well.

Something I need to mention. The comment about Ichigo disliking the rain and Orihime making his dislike fade a bit, I realize that Ichigo has commented that Rukia has "made the rain stop." I really believe that it meant that he no longer was powerless to save those he cares about. Also, I must mention that Ichigo does still dislike the rain. No matter who comes into your life and changes your world, something like that isn't easily forgotten or forgiven. I don't think that Ichigo will ever come to love/like the rain.

Well, that's all I have to say right now. I'll try to get working on Chapter 2 soon. Thank you for any comments that might be left. Flames aren't going to be welcome nicely, but if you must insult me or my story, please make it valid and not some ridiculous statement. Thank you once again and adios.


	2. A Family Moment

One Lifetime of Our Five

Disclaimer: I in no way own the characters or storyline of the anime and manga series Bleach. It wouldn't be as awesome if I did. I do own this fiction story though.

Author's notes: Well now, chapter two. I'm pleased that I was able to write so much of this in a short amount of time. I don't think there's much a have to address in this chapter. I would like to thank the people have reviewed so far. Thank you for the encouraging comments! Now, on with chapter two.

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"One Lifetime of Our Five"

Ichigo was calmed somewhat by that memory. He found that breathing was easier. He still felt his stomach twisting itself into knots, and sweat lined his face and neck. He wiped some away on the sleeve of his coat. "Daddy?" Ichigo looked up and saw a small bright-haired girl with her hand on his knee. "Are you okay?"

Ichigo somehow managed to make a calm face and smiled slightly. "Of course I am." He then picked up her up and sat her on his lap. "Did you leave your sister behind again?" He rubbed her head, and she giggled.

"It's not my fault that she's so slow." the little girl grinned.

'Slow. Right.' Ichigo recalled the time her older sister almost took him out in Hueco Mundo just by jumping at him.

The sound of footsteps approaching signaled Nell's return. She had a candy bar in her hand, which she handed to the small girl. "You forgot this, Masaki." She smiled as she handed the bar to her little sister. Though a teenager now, Nell was still called cute by many who met her.

After Orihime's rescue from Las Noches, Nell decided that she didn't want Ichigo to leave her behind. As the rescuers were leaving, Nell followed them, along with Dondo Chakker, Pesshe, and even Bawabawa. Needless to say, their appearance in the real world came as a shock, and it caused a small uproar as well as a few panic moments from Urahara and others. After managing to talk Urahara and the others down from attacking, Jinta proved to be a challenge, Ichigo, Ishida, and Renji explained how they had been somewhat helpful in saving Orihime. Thus, the Great Desert Brothers were spared for the moment. In the coming Winter War, they proved their worth. Despite their oddities and overall annoyingness, they somehow managed to hold their own when they were forced into the many battles that would occur. Once the battlefront had settled, and the swords rested in their sheaths, it was decided that Nell and her 'brothers' would be allowed to remain in the real world, much to Nell's joy. In the midst of her celebration, she once again jumped at Ichigo and once again, she almost took him out. For the first month, she remained at Urahara's store since she was a spirit entity, and it was figured that at the Kurosaki Clinic she would cause a commotion. Her constant fuss of missing Ichigo prompted Urahara to design a gigai for the young arrancar. Within a few days, Urahara managed to create a temporary gigai that would allow Nell to go see Ichigo without worry of her powers causing problems.

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Dressed in suspenders and a little hat (not having her mask on her head felt too weird), Nell was ready to go see Ichigo. "Ready to go?" Yoruichi asked the little girl. With a nod, Nell took Yoruichi's hand and left the Urahara Shoten. It was bright sunny day with a few lumpy, puffy clouds passing overhead. Though Nell had been in the real world for quite some time, today was about the first day she had really been outside and really taken notice to the sky and the town.

"It'th really pretty outthide." Nell commented as she continued to marvel at all of the things around her. Nothing like this existed in Hueco Mundo. The little tot was used to the moon lit land and sky of Hueco Mundo and seeing things from the human world in the sunlight was something that Nell never imagined. To the little arrancar, it was all amazing and breath taking.

"IIIIIchigo!" Keigo gave his usual greeting to his friend. And as usual, Ichigo responded of a short greeting and kick to stop Keigo's advancement. It was surprising and somewhat scary to see how life resumed itself so well after all that had happened. Even Keigo, who was well aware of Ichigo's Shinigami adventures, had remained the same.

Like Keigo, Mizuiro and Tatsuki were aware of the adventures of their friends, and the war that had happened. When Ichigo and company returned from Hueco Mundo with Orihime, they had been waiting with Urahara. Upon seeing Orihime again, Tatsuki was brought to the verge of tears. When they were brought face to face, Orihime was the first to make a move. Her eyes welled with tears, and she threw her arms around her best friend. As Orihime cried on her friend's shoulder, Tatsuki tightly hugged her, loosely grabbing the cloth of her outfit. She wouldn't ever let Orihime go again. Once the tearful yet happy reunion ended, Urahara quickly addressed the issue of Aizen and his status. When it was confirmed the Winter War would still be happening, they wasted no time in resuming their preparations. It was then that Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki were informed of the possible destruction of their home. Though the three of them were willing to fight along side their friends, they hadn't developed any particular abilities that would make them soldiers in the war. They were forced to watch from the sidelines as their friends confronted death day and night. Once it was calm and the victors stood tall, life resumed its course.

"Say Ichigo, I've gotten the tickets for that movie you asked for." Mizuiro reached into his back pocket. "Here you are." He handed them to his friend. As Ichigo thanked him, Mizuiro glanced over his shoulder to Orihime. "You know Ichigo, it might not be such a bad idea to take Inoue-san with you." He smirked as his friends eyes bugged slightly. "She had been talking about going to see it sometime, so why not be a gentleman and spare the young lady having to buy her own ticket and go by herself?"

Before Ichigo could answer back, he heard someone shout his name from the school gate. "Ichigo!!" He then felt something jump into his stomach full force and knock the air out of him. As he lay flat on his back, he felt the cloth of his shirt being grabbed, and someone rubbing against his chest. "Ichigo!! Nell mithed you!!" Ichigo looked down to see Nell looking right back at him, sporting the biggest smiling he had ever seen her with.

Once Ichigo rose to a sitting position, Nell jumped up and hugged the boy around his neck. "Hey Nell." Ichigo smiled and picked up the little girl. As he got to his feet, he noticed that some of the other students had taken notice to Nell and her tackle. He could hear some whispers ranging from: 'When did he have a child?' 'Is that little kid his?' 'She's so cute! I wonder who the mother is.'

Ichigo had to suppress the urge to shout at the onlookers. If he had, he would have probably scared Nell. He had to make a greater effort to not shout once Keigo got back up and saw him carrying Nell. "ICHIGOOOOOO!!" Keigo shouted as he ran over to him. Though he had been aware of the war, Keigo hadn't seen Nell much and thus she wasn't part of his memory. "Who is this little kid?!" Keigo screeched. "Don't tell me….THAT'S SHE'S YOURS?!!"

Though somewhat scared by Keigo's loud voice, Nell was able to make the comment, "Nell ith Ichigo's!" She punctuated her statement with a firm nod.

Ichigo visibly straightened up at the young girl's comment. Keigo froze. Mizuiro hid his smile behind a small book. Soon, the small pause came to an end when they heard Yoruichi calling Nell's name. The dark-skinned woman soon appeared at the gate. She glanced around at the students, before finally finding them. As she walked over to them, the whispers resumed. "Nell…you really shouldn't have run off like that." Yoruichi tapped Nell's head lightly as she 'scolded' the little girl.

And then, something in Keigo's mind clicked. He pointed at the two and shouted something that none of them truly understood. After a second passed, Yoruichi got the idea of what Keigo was getting at. With a cat-like grin, she got closer to Ichigo and looped her arm around his waist. "You haven't told your friends about our 'encounters', Ichigo? I thought that's what men did. They brag about those things, don't they? I mean, you've proven that you're a man over and over." She had to resist the overwhelming urge to laugh when she saw Keigo's jaw drop, and Ichigo's face change at least six shades of red. And now, for the finishing touch. Yoruichi put her hand on Ichigo's cheek and turned him to look at her. She then leaned forward, closing the distance between them. A few centimeters more…

"Kurosaki-kun!!" A shout came across the yard. At that moment, Ichigo would have, if he hadn't already known, realized that a god existed. He felt Nell jolt in his arms as she shifted to look over his shoulder.

Nell smiled brightly as she noticed Orihime heading toward them with Tatsuki. "Orihime!!" Nell shouted and tried to get down to go greet the girl. Ichigo backed away from a smirking Yoruichi and put Nell down. Not even a second passed before Nell was running toward Orihime, arms open. Much like with Ichigo, Nell leapt and tackled Orihime, only with less force this time.

Ichigo couldn't help but smile as he watched Inoue and Nell. He then turned to Yoruichi to tell her to never do something like that again (though secretly, he knew he would have liked it.), only to find that she had disappeared. "Asano-san…" Mizuiro poked Keigo, who had all but lost his soul and was an empty shell of a man.

"Hey, Inoue. Tatsuki." Ichigo greeted the two girls. Unfortunately, Nell held their attention completely, and he went ignored. It would remain like this for a while. During that time, Ichigo became very much aware of the few people still staring at him and Nell. He was wondering what they were thinking now. That thing with Yoruichi undoubtedly caused a few people to suspect the two of them. He knew that tomorrow was going to be full of questions. But for, he'd ignore that small voice that urged him to declare that nothing was going on between him and Yoruichi and just play with Nell, since she had come all this way to see him.

"C'mon, Nell." Ichigo said after she had run her course with Orihime and Tatsuki. The young girl ran over to Ichigo and jumped up, grabbing his hand in the process. This resulted in Ichigo having to squat down to keep his hand in Nell's reach. But an event occurred that resulted in many of the students wondering just what had happened to the scowl face all the time Ichigo. The orange-haired boy merely smiled and walked hand-in-hand with the young arrancar.

Orihime watched the 'father and daughter' make their way to the gate, when she felt a nudge in her side. She turned to see a smirking Tatsuki. "Tatsuki-chan?"

"Go after them." Tatsuki said with a grin. "It'll give you some time together, and Nell loves you." She crossed her arms, still grinning. "I know you want to, Orihime." Orihime's face tinted just a slight bit at the thought about spending some time with Ichigo. The tinted darkened when she realized that to a person passing by, if they saw Ichigo, her, and Nell walking together, they might mistake them for a family. The grin on Tatsuki's face grew when she noticed her blush. And as if she were reading her thoughts, she said, "That wouldn't be so bad, would it?" Seeing that Orihime was far too flustered to make the advance, Tatsuki took it upon herself to get her best friend with the boy of her dreams. "Hey, Ichigo!" Tatsuki shouted just as the pair were about to leave the gate. "You mind if Orihime and I tag along?"

Ichigo quirked an eyebrow at the sudden request of the two girls. However his decision wouldn't be his to make. Nell instantly shouted, "Of courthe!" Ichigo glanced down at Nell and shrugged. It didn't make any difference if they joined them. If Nell wanted the girls to come with them, then he was all right with it.

"Come on!" Tatsuki hooked Orihime's arm and dragged her friend along. Despite her objections of 'intruding on Ichigo and Nell's time', Orihime proved to be fairly easy to pull along. Once the duo reached the other duo, Ichigo, scooped up Nell and placed her on his shoulders. Probably so he would be able to keep up with the girls as they walked. Not longer after leaving the school, Tatsuki dropped behind the other two and set the alarm on her watch for about five minutes later. The good old 'fake previous engagement' technique. After she was set, she sprinted and caught up to the two, who surprising were well into a conversation and failed to notice her falling behind.

"So where were you going, Kurosaki-kun?" asked Orihime.

"I was going to take Nell to a small park near-by that I used to play at when I was little." Ichigo responded.

His answer caused Tatsuki to wonder which park he was taking about. She dove deeper into her memory, she vaguely remembered seeing him playing when they were little as she and her parents walked by. He had been there with his entire family…his father, his sisters…even his mother. They had all been there. She almost asked to be sure, but stopped the question on the tip of her tongue. It was decided the better of. As they continued their walk, Tatsuki's watch beeped, and she inwardly smiled. She made a disappointed face and muttered under her breath. "Damn. I forgot that I promised to help our sensei train some students who wanted to come in for some extra practice. I gotta run." Tatsuki gave a small wave and dashed before the others could question her. 'Here's your chance, Orihime! Don't let it pass you by!'

For a brief moment, Orihime panicked. This was something she really didn't want to do in the beginning truth be told. She really thought that Ichigo and Nell should have some quality time by themselves. She knew well that that's the reason she'd give to others, but part of her argued that she wasn't really ready to be with Ichigo on her own in a normal situation. She briefly pondered whether she should do what Tatsuki did and bail or stay. Ichigo's voice brought her back to the world. He also made her decision easier. "Weird…oh well. Inoue, let's keep going."

The remainder of the day would be spent at the park. The trio would use everything there was before the day ended. Somehow, Ichigo had himself worn around a while. He told the girls that he needed a breather and went to go sit on the swing-set. He was surprised in how he managed to get that tired without noticing it. Were kids really that tiring? As he rested, he observed Inoue and Nell. He had been somewhat surprised by the fact that Nell really took a liking to Inoue, and almost always reacted the same whenever she saw her as she did with him. Thinking of Inoue, Ichigo remembered the tickets Mizuiro had gotten for him as well as his suggestion of taking Inoue with him. As the idea worked through his mind, Ichigo reached the conclusion that perhaps that wasn't such a bad suggestion. It could be a way of saying thanks for playing with Nell today when she didn't have to. He had noticed before that she seemed a little like she didn't want to be there earlier on. He glanced over at the two girls again and saw them in sandbox; Inoue telling a story using a sand castle, and Nell listening intently. He got up and went over to them. As he approached, Inoue finished her story before he could hear it. "So what did you two do?" He asked.

"Ah, nothing really. I was just telling Nell-chan a story." said Orihime as she got to her feet."

"Tho the knight climbed all the thtairth to get to the princeth?" Nell asked Orihime as she looked at the sand castle. Orihime nodded with a smile. "Wow. Ichigo, have you ever done that?" she asked with expectant eyes.

Ichigo pondered for a moment before answering. "Yea, I have. Twice actually."

"Who wath your princeth?"

Ichigo smiled. "I didn't do it for my princess, Nell." He squatted down and patted her head. "I did it for two very dear friends of mine." As he stood back up, he noticed the streetlights flickering on. 'Wow. Time flies.' He gave a small sigh. "Nell, I think we should take you back to Urahara's for today." As he said this, Nell's face fell, and she assumed the look of a sad puppy. Ichigo somehow felt he had done something horribly wrong. "Don't worry though. I'll go see you tomorrow. I promise." Nell's appearance didn't change much, but she nodded, agreeing to the terms he set. With that said, he picked up Nell and placed her on his shoulders.

"Ichigo…if you're a knight, do you have a white horthe?" Nell asked after they had walked some distance.

"Well…I guess you could say a have a white steed of sorts…" Ichigo admitted.

After Ichigo and Orihime dropped Nell off at Urahara's, Ichigo offered to walk Orihime home, since it was almost night. After a moment of spazing, Orihime agreed. As they walked to her home, she couldn't get rid of that light red tint that graced her face. She wondered if she had agreed to let him walk her home that day when she had that weird leg injury if it would be something like this. In the twilit streets of the city with Kurosaki-kun…it was borderline dream-like. It would become more so before she reached home.

"Inoue…" Ichigo broke a small silence that had settled on them. "Are you doing anything next Wednesday?"

"No, nothing I can think of." Orihime answered. Something in her jumped for joy as she began to imagine where he was going with this. Was he going to ask her out? Did someone ask him to ask her out for them? She prayed that that wasn't the reason.

"Listen, Mizuiro gave me an extra ticket to a movie I asked him to get for me. And since you played with Nell today, I want to say thanks for that. Also, I've heard you wanted to see it." He held the ticket out to her. "It's yours if you want it."

Orihime failed to display emotion for a moment or answer. While it wasn't an actual date, Ichigo had offered to her to go see a movie with him. It was more of a friend outing than anything, but since it was the first time Ichigo had ever offered something like this, she was thrilled nonetheless. She then smiled and took the ticket. "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo gave a small smile in return. They soon reached Orihime's home. Their good-bye was short, and Ichigo was soon on his way home. As he thought about the last bit of this odd day, the one thing that struck a cord with him was Orihime's smile. He hadn't seen her smile like that many times. Come to think of it, he couldn't recall a time she smiled exactly like that. Though he regarded it as odd, Ichigo found himself feeling happy when thought about her smile. While he found it strange, he shrugged it off and merely enjoyed feeling that happiness.

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Well that's chapter two. Hope you enjoyed it. I once again apologize if you think I misrepresented the characters. Comments are welcome and once again, if you must insult me or my story, make it valid. (I have to include this for anyone looking to hate on IchiHime writers just cuz they're IchiHime writers.)

Some random notes: Hmm. You know, I really did intend for a one shot in the beginning. The break in the chapters was what I thought would be best due to the scene change. It was awkward to break it off in that place (chapter one and chapter two break), but it seemed like the best choice. And as for the proposal in the rain, I didn't get that much symbolism when I wrote it. (laughs) Personally, I love the rain more than any other kind of weather. Maybe that's why I wrote it like that. After rereading it, I realized something. I wanna propose like that if I where able to. (laughs) It'd be cool. Maybe it was the fact that when Orihime was walking home in the rain in that chapter of Bleach, I really truly felt like this is the pairing for me. And I have a great urge to angst the crap outta one chapter, but I really don't feel like angst has a place in this story. We'll have a serious emotional scene eventually (one of which I just might have to up the rating for). But, that's all I think I need to say. Well, I'm off for now. Hope you liked it. Adios.


	3. A Stolen Kiss of a Stupid Dare

One Lifetime of Our Five

Disclaimer: I in no way own the characters or storyline of the anime and manga series Bleach. It wouldn't be as awesome if I did. I do own this fiction story though.

Author's notes: An overdue update to this, I hope you enjoy it. Without further ado, chapter three.

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Had his mind not been preoccupied with thoughts of concern and worry for his wife, Ichigo would have allowed himself to smile or chuckle at that memory. Man, was he clueless back then. In all honesty, he still retained some of his cluelessness. It had gotten him into some tight situations time to time. Despite his nervousness, his train of thought came to a screeching halt when he heard his youngest daughter mention the words "first kiss" and "today." Oh hell no. If some little punk kid stole her first kiss…well he couldn't beat him, but he'd sure as hell haunt him for a few weeks. His turned his attention slowly to Masaki as she continued to tell her story to Nell.

"And I did just what Tatsuki-oba told me to do; I pushed him down and jumped on him!" Masaki exclaimed happily.

With that, Ichigo cursed Tatsuki. He heard about the time she told Orihime to push him down in the park and shove her large breasts in his face from his wife. Was that woman dead set on corrupting Orihime and her descendants? Any matter, he made a mental note to talk to Tatsuki about this.

"He tasted like natto." Oh yes…he'd talk to her about this.

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Kurosaki Ichigo was not the kind of man to back down from a challenge. His career as a Shinigami proved it. But with this challenge, something inside him wanted him to back out quickly. He damned his pride. Since Keigo had been the one to make the challenge, he really didn't want to back out.

A friendly get-together was the cause his torment. In a game called…what was it called? Ah forget it. All he knew is that it was that game and that get-together. At the end of the night, to vent his frustrations, he ended up kicking Rukia, who was the reason he came to be at the event, from behind. His night would get worse as he found himself in a garbage can shortly afterwards. He didn't know if Renji had come up from behind him and done it or if Rukia herself did it. Either way, he arrived at home with a banana peel on his head. After a bath, Ichigo went to his room and dropped face first on his bed. He groaned and thought about smothering himself with his pillow. Tomorrow would be a crappy day.

Despite all his wishing and praying, the sun shone its now accursed light on Ichigo, signaling the end of the night and arrival of the new day. Ichigo gave a loud zombie-like groan and rose slowly from his bed. He heard a clatter come from his doorway, and he managed to catch a glimpse of a terrified Yuzu before she bolted away. Shrugging it off, Ichigo made his way slowly to the bathroom. It was then that he realized the shape he was in. Somehow, he looked rather pale, his eyes were very shadowy and blood shot, and he carried himself in with bad posture. For a moment, he considered trying to get away with being sick and staying home for the day. He then remembered that his dad was a doctor, one who seemed to enjoy trying out new medicines he'd heard about on his son. A week of killer muscle cramps and possible blood vomiting or a simple dare; Ichigo seriously considered the first option. Finally, the first choice lost its appeal when he remembered what the last one had done to his stomach. Never again. With a defeated sigh, Ichigo splashed some water on his face and went on with his morning routine.

Despite having returned to his normal look, Ichigo still carried zombie-like properties. He dragged his feet on his way to the school, occasionally gave a low groan, and wore a glazed over look. _'Are you really going to make such a big deal out of this?' _His mind demanded an answer. _'Yes. I am.' _He replied. Before long, he arrived at the school's gate. He's glazed over look fell from his face and was replaced by a look of confusion and slight anger. _'Where the hell did the rest of the street go?!' _Ichigo swore that he still had a half a trip to go. "Damn." He sighed again and went into the building, praying that a hollow would come by so he could go off and fight it. Unfortunately, the Shinigami in the area was doing his job, quite well actually. There'd be no such luck for Kurosaki Ichigo today.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Keigo gave an unsettling normal greeting to his friend. Ichigo simply gave a murderous glare at his schoolmate and continued down the hall. He suddenly felt added weight on his back as Keigo dropped his arm on his friend's shoulder. "Remember what the deal is, Ichigo." Keigo spoke quietly to his friend. It was somewhat unnerving to see that Keigo fell into the hushed devious persona so well. Yes, Ichigo remembered. That's why Ichigo was beyond pissed and more than ready to take it out on Keigo. The deal was simple. "I'll catch you later." Keigo removed his arm and sped ahead, greeting Orihime as he went into the class room. Oh yes, the deal was simple: steal a kiss from his most innocent and spacey friend, or suffer through a rather annoying rumor Keigo would start.

Ichigo had dealt with rumors for a long time, and he was used to the treatment. Initially, he hadn't even considered the first part. It was just wrong to steal a girl's first kiss (he assumed it was her first.), especially when the guy stealing it was him. When he was first dared into such a ridiculous situation, he flat out denied it and said that he'd take the penalty. Why the hell did he even get so involved with that game? He wasn't that type of person. Then he learned about how long Keigo would drag it on. The time was just insane to comprehend. Despite this, Ichigo still denied doing such a thing. Saying that he'd still have the opinion of doing the dare, Keigo dropped it, and the game continued. After leaving, Ichigo's thoughts dwelt on it. The reason was beyond him. He would have normally dismissed the thought altogether and go through the day without any major foreseeable occurrences, and suffer through the annoyance of Keigo for the remainder of his school life. Unfortunately, Ichigo's thoughts poked at the subject. It began to weight the options, and he was disgusted with himself for actually letting it continue. It reasoned that the annoyance known as Keigo would probably drive him into insanity if allowed to provoke him that long. It also reasoned that Inoue was forgiving. Maybe to a certain extent, she might like it. After all, they were good friends now. He had heard stories that friends would occasionally share a kiss without a meaning behind it. It was just a kiss. He still loathed himself for thinking about, but the decision of whether he would do it or not became less certain. He was further rattled when a single voice in his mind shouted something he hadn't even thought about.

'_My, my. As hard as your thinking about it, maybe you do want to kiss Inoue!' _

A quick slap to the face put that thought back in the depths of his brain. He shook his head and greeted Orihime as well, then took his seat in class. His scowl was more pronounced, and many other students wondered what had rubbed Ichigo the wrong way.

Most of the day would pass normally; Ichigo never let the conflict in his mind known to the world. The only sign something was amiss was his more defined scowl, but most people just attributed it to him having woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Of course, there were those who knew better, but one didn't know for sure; she just assumed that something was truly bothering Ichigo. It was just her strange ability.

The air was warmer than pleasant and the breeze did little to relieve them. Silently, Ichigo asked himself why they decided to have lunch on the roof. The sun had seemingly scared the clouds away, thus making it warmer. If it was just a little winder, the day would be quite nice. The joyfully idle chatter of his friends drifted all the way to where Ichigo stood at the other side of the roof. _'It really shouldn't be bothering me this much. I already know that I won't do it.'_ Yes, that's what Ichigo reasoned. Every time he believed that it was the end of it, somehow he found himself debating the pros and the cons. His scowl would borderline vicious every time he came to the realization: Kissing Inoue definitely had more pros. The only real con that he encountered was that it went against his moral standing, and he'd be damned if he betrayed his morals.

"Penny for your thoughts, Ichigo." Rukia popped up behind him, talking in that fake tone she took when she first appeared in the human world.

Ichigo gave a growl like noise, and answered, "I hate you."

"Oh come on, you can't still be pissed about last night." Rukia sighed, slapping the orange haired boy's back. "No one forced you to go, no one forced you to play, and no one's forcing you to think so ridiculously hard on it." She snickered a bit. "And _how_ you've thought on it." She playfully taunted.

That was it. Ichigo finally reached a point he didn't know he had. He roughly ran his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated yell. One loud enough to make Rukia flinch, and the others believe that he had some how gotten hurt. Once he had let some stress out, he came to the realization of what had just happened. He glanced slowly over to Rukia, who still looked a little startled, and then to his friends, who were trying to see what the hell had happened to him. He turned a very light shade of red and promptly left the roof. He retreated back to the classroom, took his seat and wanted for class to start back up. He was now frustrated, pissed, embarrassed, and somewhat wishing for Grimmjow or Ulquiorra to rise from the grave, just so he could vent his problems.

It was near the end of the day, and thankfully nothing more had occurred. Ichigo finally found peace of mind. After an endless day of mental war and frustration, Ichigo came to the ultimate and predictable decision to stay true to his morals. He no longer scowled in such a dramatic way, easing the class in the last minutes of the day. All was going normally, until they heard the sound of retching coming from the hall. There was a small murmur throughout the class, while Ochi-sensei went out to check on the poor student. A few moments later, there was the squeaking and wet noise of a mop being put to use.

"Looks like you're going to refuse me, eh Ichigo?" Keigo poked at his friend. He once again slung his arm around Ichigo and said, "The fact that you're going to stick to your guns even when you know what hell I'm going to put you through is admirable." He then pretended to brush away a stray tear. "It makes me proud to call you a friend." The bell rang, and Ichigo shoved Keigo off him and left the room.

"Kurosaki-kun was sure acting strange today, wasn't he Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime mentioned to her friend. "He went around looking like this for the entire day." She then did her best to imitate the scowl she so loved, getting a laugh from Tatsuki. "I wonder what was bothering him…" She said in a thoughtful manner. As she passed Ichigo's desk, she noticed that his book bag was still hanging on the side of his desk. She quickly looked for Ichigo, and discovered he was already halfway out the door. "Kurosaki-kun! Your bag!" She called over to him, but he didn't hear her. She then grabbed his bag and rushed past everyone to get it to him. "Kurosaki-kun!" She called to him once again, this time, managing to get his attention.

"Huh?" Ichigo turned around in mid step, effectively stepping back into someone, who like him had a rough day.

"Watch you, jerk!" The boy yelled, pushing Ichigo forward. Now, under normal circumstances, this won't have had much effect. But as a reason of the sick student in the hall and the mop having been there only minutes before, footing became an issue for the young Kurosaki. He stumbled and slipped forward just a bit, whilst Orihime was hurrying towards him.

There was a collective gasp from the on lookers and a few jaws dropped. Though if someone had a real good look at the event, they'd have known that it wasn't too big a deal. Keigo stopped dead in his tracks, jaw seemingly unhinged. Chad and Ishida kept their normal looks, though they were slightly more rigid than normal. Rukia, however, had a different reaction from everyone else. She would have given her beloved Chappy doll for a camera at that moment.

The result of both Ichigo and Orihime moving toward each other in a hurried manner was them colliding. The result of Ichigo trying to get his balance was his head being lowered than normal. For the same reason, his arms had been in front of him to catch himself in case he fell flat on his face. This added up together, and the result looked worse than it really was.

The first thing that registered in Ichigo's mind was that his face was touching Orihime's. The second thing that registered was his hands firmly on her shoulders. The third and final thing was what he felt against his lips. It wasn't at all soft. It slowly dawned on the poor boy that he was, regrettably and accidentally, kissing Orihime's chin. When it all registered, Ichigo pulled back quickly, saw the flushed face of Orihime, and then did something that made his image worse. He ran like hell, just like when he was rushing to her aide in Hueco Mundo.

There was a small murmur from the students before Chizuru gave a rather pissed off yell and attempted to chase down Kurosaki, with the intent to break some of his bones. Fortunately, a mutual friend of Ichigo and Orihime prevented this by putting the out of control lesbian in an arm lock. It was then that everyone erupted into their own discussion about the event that had just occurred. During the commotion, Orihime glanced down and realized that she was still holding Ichigo's bag. Though a still bit in shock, she took off after Ichigo, leaving the mess in the hallway behind. Tailing her, Rukia bolted through the mess and quickly caught up with the other girl at the school gates.

Though it wasn't his fault, Ichigo felt like scum. He had run all the way from the school, halfway to his house, stopping to rest a bit on a bench. He didn't really kiss her, he wasn't really to blame, and he wasn't sure why he felt disappointed. He hoped that it was because he had in a way betrayed his morals.

"Ano, Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime timidly said his name.

"Argh!" Ichigo jumped at the sudden mention of his name. He silently screamed, _'Where the hell did you come from?!' _Like main times before, Orihime had managed to find Ichigo and appear seemingly out of thin air, when she shouldn't have. "Inoue?!" He gasped out. His breathing was a little harder, a result from the mad dash and the sudden shock from Orihime. He felt himself redden again.

Orihime's had the same tint to it. "You forgot your bag in the classroom…" She timidly said and handed him his book bag. She then opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, trying to find the words she wanted. "Ano…do you mind if I sit with you for a while?" She then lightly laughed her own unique nervous laugh. "I kinda tried myself out chasing you down."

Ichigo briefly considered politely declining for fear of it being to awkward, but realized he didn't have the heart to say no. "Go ahead." He scooted a bit to the side to give her more room. Orihime took her seat, and the air instantly became deathly silent. For both of them, it was awkward and somewhat uncomfortable.

"Ku-Kuchiki-san told me about what you Keigo dared you to do…" Orihime started. Ichigo felt his blood turn cold. Oh, he was going to kill her. "So, that's why you were acting so strange today." Orihime lightly laughed against. After a brief pause, Orihime asked a question that hadn't crossed her mind until Rukia suggested it to her; a question Rukia had skillfully played out. "Kurosaki-kun, why did you flat out say no to the idea of kissing me? Am I not a kissable girl in your eyes?"

Ichigo's head shot up, and he instantly answered, though a bit more forceful than he intended. "Of course not!" He surprised both himself and Orihime with his answer. He quickly worked to save his ass. "What I mean is, you're not someone I wouldn't kiss. Inoue, you're a very pretty girl, and everyone guy would love the chance to kiss a girl like you." He instantly felt he chose some poor wording and failed to completely save himself from drowning. "Inoue, I flat out said no to Keigo's dare because I didn't want to steal some thing like a kiss from you. It won't sit well with me." He sighed. "If we where to ever kiss, I'd want you to want us to…wait I don't mean it like that! Ah, bu…argh…" Ichigo gave a defeated sigh. He somehow dug himself in a grave and threw the dirt onto himself. Where the hell was this coming from?! He was just about to return to his rather moody state when he heard Orihime trying to suppress her laughter. He gave her a sideways, questioning look that effectively caused her to break into full blown laughter. For a moment, he just stared at her, completely lost, before she started to infect him, making him chuckle lightly.

Finally, Orihime's laughing fit passed, and she settled back into her usual upbeat self. She then got up and turned to Ichigo. She then quickly placed a peck on his check. "You know, you're really sweet, Kurosaki-kun." She then turned to head home, leaving a stunned, blushing, and confused Kurosaki Ichigo alone on the bench. As Orihime walked home, she couldn't help but smile. Her knight in shining armor was still just as sweet as he ever was, though he hid it well. The next day, they'd be the subject of much gossip, and bombarded with questions, but tomorrow was still some time away. For now, the two of them just wanted to think back on the day and reflect on what had happened, and just maybe, regret that Ichigo was a little too tall.

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Author's notes: Well, that's chapter three. It changed so much while I wrote on it, and the ending is very different from what I originally thought up. Overall, I don't think this is the best thing I could have done for this addition to the story. I feel like I used too much of a cliché and then made the characters a little OOC. Also, it feels kinda rushed. That's just my opinion. Who knows, you guys might think this is pretty good. As always, comments are welcome, and flames will not be well received, but if you must, make it valid. There are probably some spelling and grammar errors since I haven't really proof read it, and it might flow awkwardly in some parts since I didn't work on it constantly. I would sometimes write a few paragraphs and then get busy with school and other things for a week or two, so sorry about that.


	4. A Musing Pass

One Lifetime of Our Five

Disclaimer: I in no way own the characters or storyline of the anime and manga series Bleach. It wouldn't be as awesome if I did. I do own this fiction story though.

Author's Notes: I didn't intend this to be Chapter Four, but since the winter season has already past, and wanted to release it during the winter, I began this on a whim. In the big picture, it might work out better. As you can already tell, the chapters aren't in any order. This is due to that these are Ichigo's memories, and memories don't exactly follow a strict order. They jump.

Quick Story Notes: Ok, hitokiri angel asked me about the ages of Ichigo, Orihime, and their family in the present timeline. I'll address that at the end of the chapter unless I think it's better to withhold that information until later. I can't say where Orihime is, since that's critical to the plot. You're free to assume the best or worst.

* * *

A Musing Pass

Ichigo stared aimlessly at the darkening sky. _'A twenty percent chance of rain my ass.' _He thought sourly. There was still a ways before he got home. The last thing he wanted was for a down pour to come upon him. Before the clouds had gathered, the day had been a bright and warm one. He had gone out for a stroll as his father was being a huge pain at home. The sunshine and the clear air would help him wind down. Before he knew it, he had ended up quite a ways from his home.

The clouds hadn't even completely covered the sky before Ichigo felt the first rain drop hit his cheek. Swearing under his breath, he looked for a place to wait it out as it didn't look like a big storm. Near by, there was a small park with plenty of large trees to wait under.

Ichigo frowned as he watched various people run by, in a rush to get out of the rain. Oh, how he hated this weather. Such a beautiful sight in a way, such a terrible memory. He rubbed the bridge of his nose out of frustration. This always happened. When ever it rained, he could vividly remember a day he longed to forget. In an effort to get his mind off it, he began thinking about what had happened over the last year. Well, he had rescued two friends, fought in a war, become one of the most acknowledged young Shinigami in Soul Society, gained an adoptive daughter (something which he still hid from his family), and moved up a year in school. Among the memories, the Hueco Mundo incident was the one to stick in his mind longest. With that one incident, he rescued a friend, gained said adoptive daughter, and gained his status in Soul Society.

He remembered how it all started, with Inoue disappearing from the real world. Looking back, his reaction to hearing her being a traitor was quite intense. While he hadn't known Inoue all that long before that moment, he knew her well enough to know that she would never betray her friends, not then, not now, not ever. If he had been talking to the old man face-to-face, he felt angry enough to punch him, regardless of the consequences. Even after he realized he was alone, he knew he was going to go after her and rescue her. Come hell or high water, he would succeed.

When it had all come to an end, he lay on the ground, completely trashed. His left arm all but shattered, his chest hurting like nothing else, and it didn't matter at all. He wanted to smile to let her know he was perfectly fine, just because he had done it. She was beside him again, and she'd be going home; he had succeeded. He wanted to tell her not to cry, but he knew she would anyway. So…he was content. He closed his eyes and sighed. He then felt something soft touch his forehead. _'Her hand is so soft…'_ He thought to himself. Perhaps it was the beating he took or maybe he was just that dense, but if he had thought about it, what had touched him was way too small to be her hand.

"Inoue…so strange." Ichigo smirked to himself. Thinking about that had moved the memory of the rain to the back of his mind. She was an exceeding weird girl in the way she went about, excited and bubbly almost all the time. He recalled a time she was telling him about a daydream she had, and he burst into laughter in the hall. The story was just so absurd. This actually caused a few girls to scream and hide in a classroom. It was just unnatural for Kurosaki Ichigo to laugh. He received many strange looks for the rest of the day. Despite the initial impression one might get from her, Inoue had so much more to her. He felt somewhat happy in the knowledge that he knew more about her than most others did. Upon comparing their relationship a year ago to the one they had now, Ichigo realized that they had become really close. Now, the thought of her not being part of his life was impossible. Much like all his other friends, he wouldn't know what to do if she just left one day. But, there was something special about Inoue scenario. Her leaving…it seemed a little grayer than the others.

The sound of the rain lightening drew his attention out of his mind. There was a phrase Ichigo had heard before for situations like this, where you were thinking about someone, and then they suddenly appear, that he had wanted to try out. Unfortunately he didn't remember it. Inoue was walking on the other side of the street, with a yellow umbrella over her shoulder. She had a small plastic bag at her side, perhaps some ingredients she intended to use for some strange dish for that night. She briefly paused and looked up at the cloudy sky. Though he couldn't see it for sure, something inside him told him she was smiling at the gray clouds. She then did something rather strange. She closed her umbrella and held out her arms. What Ichigo witnessed next was something he never thought happened in real life. She danced in the rain.

It wasn't elegant in any form what so ever. It was playful, much like a child's. All the while, he knew she retained her smile. While all others he had seen that day, cursed the weather and rushed to get out of it, here was this girl stopping and savoring it, playing in it, smiling at it. Her steps moved her on her way, and his eyes followed her all the while. As he watched, he could feel a small smile form on his lips. Her dance was short lived as the rain ceased to connect the sky and earth. Once again, he couldn't tell for sure, but he knew Inoue was disappointed with the rain stopping. She then resumed walking on her way.

In a way, Ichigo was a little disappointed with the rain's sudden stop as it ended Inoue's dance, something he knew she was enjoying. But with the rain coming to a stop, he too set off for home. He hadn't gone very far before it started to rain again. He frowned at the deceitful weather and once again looked for a place to wait. Fortunately for the orange haired boy, he wouldn't need to. "Onii-chan!" He looked ahead to see both Yuzu and Karin walking toward him. In one hand, Yuzu was carrying a spare umbrella. Once she had handed it to him, Yuzu scolded her brother. "They said it was going to rain to today, onii-chan. How could you forget to take an umbrella with you?" She shook her head in disappointment.

"Really, Ichi-nii." Karin mimicked her twin.

_'They said there was a chance…'_ Ichigo thought silently to himself. He opened his umbrella and took a couple of steps. "Thank you, Yuzu, Karin. Let's go." With that, the twins got beside him, and they headed home.

Later that night, after dinner, Ichigo was sitting in a hot bath. He sighed contently and slid lower in the water. Thoughts of what happened today drifted to his mind. Inoue's dance was the memory that stuck. It was something he was glad he got the chance to see. She looked so carefree. While he hated the rain, Inoue seemed to love it. Perhaps there was something he didn't see in the rain.

"Inoue…" He smirked to himself. "So strange."

* * *

There it is. A very late chapter four. I apologize for taking so much time to release one. As I said earlier, this wasn't originally chapter four, but I don't want to release the winter chapter during the warm season. It just doesn't sit well with me. Took me two days to write, and it's rather short. Now, to answer that question, if I did my math right, Ichigo and Orihime are either 29 or 30, with Nel being 16 to 17, and Masaki being 7. I'm unsure about the exact age due to manga time being all messed up. They're younger than I originally intended, but I think it works this way also, so please bear with me. Well, comments are always welcome and if you want to say something negative, please make it valid.

Thank you for all the favorites and alerts! (I prefer a small word of what you thought, but it's good nonetheless.)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have a good day and adios.


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